Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1887-12-30
And the Happiness Which Fol-
lowed Their Removal

And the Happiness Which Fol-
lowed Their Removal
The little dinner in the little dining
room was over at last. The mlid-of-
all-work, who had burned the gravy,
and taken up the boiled pudding too
soon, had now. with some clattcr and
stumbling, cleared the room, and ar
ranged it for the evening. The chill
dren, who la not minded her failures.
and were merry and talkative because
there was a guest who smiled upon
them, had been eoaxed and command
ed away TO bed.
At last little Mrs. Worden was free
to sit down by her friend for conf
Dental talk, and her husband was free
to withdraw from his newspaper. not
to the library. but to the other side of
the table. Mrs. Worden had her work
basket in ler hand. but she put it aside
as she looked into her friends face
the heart was in her eyes.
''Oh. Margaret, l am so glad to see
you!" she said. at was so selfish of
me to ask you to come now, but never
wanted you so before"
'And l never was so glad to come"
'.Do you mean it? / used to take
such pleasure in making your vaca-
Gons pleasant. but every thing is so
different now. Every thing is gone
that you used to enjoy; the nice large
rom kept for you, and the library,
and the pictures, and the carriage, and
even the piano"
But. dear Helen. didn't come to
visit you for those
"No; ut | loved to think Won en-
joyed them. Now | have brought you
to this little. stuffy house, with the
children all over it. You can hear
their noise from morning till night.
There is no Elise to keep them in the
nursery, or take them off for an airing.
They'll torment the life out of YOU"
No" said Margaret, my life never
will 60 that way"
But every thing is so different. You
saw Bridget It's so different keeping
house with her from what it used TO be
with the three nice maids l had. In
decd, l do my best. Margaret, but you
saw how it was at dinner. We gave
up all our real silver John would.
you know; and we kept only partly
broken set of china. The table doesn't
look rs it used to"
"Never mind. dear. Indeed, don't
think of that"
No" said Mrs. Worden, mournful-
ly ''But | can't even give you much
Of myself this time. Ihave to be busy ev-
cry minute till the children are in bed.
j ought to be sewing now. We can't
have any more nice talks over books
and questions, you know. l. hardly
know such things exist. My mind is
full of nothing but houseworr and
children. I've given up the Literary
Club and the Charity Union, and l can
not make calls. Those nice people you
used to like to meet seldom see now.
I've just dropped out of their way. !
can't give any such nice little recep-
tion for you as we had last YEAR"
al don't want it; YOU know | don't"
w ltu SciL lOt pu last Weth WIS
feeling as if i could not face New
Years without YOU. When | think of
the change one little year has brought
it seems like nightmare. Every
thing pleasant went at once. 1t was
hardest to loos our country house. We
both loved it; it was so sweet and airy
out there, and we had such lovely
neighbors. When / looked forward t,
spending the whole summer in the city
with the children it seemed awful. "
''And has it proved rs bad as you
; feared?"
"Well. no; I've really been SO busy
] hardly knew how the days passed.
And we have been remarkably well,
and John has been so thoughtful for
me and the children. Poor John! think
what a year this has been for him! He
| was so used to the sense of having
fortune t. fall back upon. And now |
know it fairly fr:ghtens him some
! times TO think there is only his slender
| salary between us and want"
There is more than that" said
Margaret. There's God $ large, kind
providence.
Yes" said Helen. humbly. Il
+ know, but forget some times"
Il want TO tel YOU some thing
said Margaret ~ mourncd over your
losses, dear Helen. bat since Eve been
here l haven't been realizing them as
you might think, I've been so happy
over the gains.
What gains?"
"Oh. my dear, you have got rid of
the intervcntions"'
What do you mean by interven-
tions?n
Let me try to tell you. Helen, l
was Il hypocritc often in the days when
| you wero rich, and | visited You.
pretended to be happy, and | did enjoy
a great deal that knew you wanted me
to enjoy. But all the while there was
! such uneasy fears in my heart! Some
times ! thought would tell you OF
them; then blamed myself for worry
ing, silly old maid, and was ashamed
/ of them"
"But what was it all about. Mar
garctP'
| about the intervcntions; the inter-
ventions between you and your chill
dren, first of ail. The big house with
the big rooms seemed one of them.
The nursery was SO far from your sit
ting-room. How could you know the
children as you do now they are thrown
right about you heree AMI Elise was
another She marshaled them to a r.
ings and meals and bed so irrcprosth-
ably there seemed hardly n chance for
them to get at you. And she was ieal-
ous when the baby, cyiel for her 'tear
ill, uiamn1a,' don't You VfnHmbVr'